BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Local law enforcement worked a rash of traffic crashes this weekend in Bay County involving pedestrians and bicyclists.
Part of this problem may be due to it becoming darker, earlier, but the main issue lies in the “unwalkable” nature of many areas.
One of the crashes involved the lead cyclist participating in the Panama City Beach Ironman on Saturday. He was knocked out of the race after crashing with a pick-up truck pulling a trailer.
It’s still not known how the truck ended up on the race course.
Jason King of the Florida Highway Patrol said that these accidents are avoidable with the proper solutions, “Well, sidewalks are always a great solution and street lights, but I know that it’s very expensive and it’s not cost-efficient for the entire county,” King said.
“So the other part is we recommend we recommend to pedestrians wear bright clothing. If you have earbuds in, take one of them out. At least you can hear your surroundings, walk against the flow of traffic and just be aware, be a defensive pedestrian.”
Panama City Beach, an area that sees a lot of foot traffic from pedestrians, is currently working on this problem, as an overhaul to road construction continues on Front Beach Road.
Roadways included in the re-work include Hill Road, Front Beach Road, Alf Coleman Road, Back Beach, and Middle Beach Road.
